Comelec issues warning: No SOCE, no assumption of office

Local

TIME is running out, and so might your chance to take office.

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Tuesday, June 10, warned that winning candidates in the recent May 2025 polls may be barred from assuming their positions this July if they fail to submit their Statement of Contributions and Expenditures (SOCE) by the June 11 deadline.

Lawyer Francisco Pobe, the regional director of Comelec Central Visayas, said only 839 out of 2,385 candidates across the region have filed their SOCEs as of Monday, less than half of those required to comply.

“Chances are, magdali-dali gyud ni sila ug submit sa ilang records kay ugma na ang deadline,” Pobe told reporters in a media forum.

“We’re expecting a surge in submissions, but after that, late filers may have to go directly to Manila and risk facing consequences,” he added.

Of the 839 who complied, 444 are from Cebu and 395 are from Bohol. Region-wide, Cebu accounted for 1,268 of the total COC filers, while Bohol had 1,117.

According to Pobe, failure to submit a SOCE has serious repercussions, especially for those who won elective posts in the May 2025 midterm elections.

“For winning candidates, the decision is up to the DILG. We encourage compliance, and resolutions provide that they will not be allowed to assume office if they fail to file their SOCE,” he said.

Meanwhile, non-winning candidates who miss the deadline may face criminal charges. Their failure to file could also be used as grounds for disqualification should they run again in the future.

Pobe said this isn’t an empty threat.

“Daghan na ang nasampolan. I have handled many cases and issued summons against candidates who failed to file during the 2022 elections. We’re serious about enforcing this rule,” he said.

Pobe clarified that simply submitting the SOCE doesn’t automatically mean a candidate has passed all campaign finance requirements.

“This filing is just for compliance purposes. But that doesn’t mean you are already cleared. The documents will be transmitted to Comelec’s Campaign Finance Office in Manila, where they will be evaluated and audited,” he explained.

He said the reports must match allowable spending under current election laws; local candidates, for instance, are only permitted to spend up to P3 per registered voter.

“Obsolete as it may be, the law hasn’t changed. That’s still the legal cap for campaign spending,” he said.

Pobe also mentioned that one of the key advocacies for elections is the revision of election laws. Although some provisions have been amended, not all have been updated.

He noted that the changes now align with the demands of the times and the real shifts in the country’s economic situation.

He also pointed out that the wages of domestic workers in the Philippines have not been revised for a long time and emphasized that it is high time to update them, as they no longer reflect the current economic environment.

Meanwhile, Comelec Chairperson George Garcia reiterated that the June 11 deadline for filing SOCEs is final and non-negotiable.

“There is no extension. We do not plan to give an extension to anyone who asks. That is the deadline, June 11,” Garcia said. “It was announced a long time ago, and candidates must face the consequences of non-filing.”

Garcia also reminded candidates that SOCEs must be filed in both hard and soft copies, in prescribed formats, at the Comelec offices. Submissions through email, courier, messenger, or mail are not accepted.

Candidates who comply will receive a Certificate of Formal Compliance, which must be presented before they can take office.(TGP)